CVE-2015-8753 in Afaria
Summary
by MITRE
SAP Afaria 7.0.6001.5 allows remote attackers to bypass authorization checks and wipe or lock mobile devices via a crafted request, related to "Insecure signature," aka SAP Security Note 2134905.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2018
SAP Afaria 7.0.6001.5 represents a mobile device management platform that enables enterprises to manage and secure mobile devices through centralized administration capabilities. This vulnerability resides within the platform's authentication and authorization mechanisms, specifically targeting the signature validation process that governs administrative operations. The flaw manifests as an insecure signature implementation that fails to properly validate the authenticity of administrative requests, creating a critical security gap that allows unauthenticated attackers to escalate privileges and execute privileged operations. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-347, which addresses improper verification of cryptographic signatures, making it a direct concern for integrity and authentication controls within the system. This weakness enables attackers to forge administrative requests that would normally require proper authentication and authorization, fundamentally undermining the platform's security architecture.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of digital signatures used to authenticate administrative commands within the Afaria platform. Attackers can craft specially formatted requests that appear to originate from authorized administrators, thereby bypassing the platform's authorization checks. The insecure signature mechanism allows for the execution of critical device management operations including device wiping and locking, which can result in complete loss of device functionality and data. This type of attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1543.003, which involves the use of valid accounts to perform administrative actions, though in this case the attacker does not require valid credentials as the signature validation is bypassed entirely. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to execute destructive operations that can compromise entire device fleets and potentially lead to data breaches or business disruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for organizations relying on SAP Afaria for mobile device management, as it exposes their mobile infrastructure to unauthorized access and control. Organizations may experience loss of sensitive corporate data, disruption of business operations, and potential regulatory compliance violations when devices are remotely wiped or locked without authorization. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of the mobile device management system, as attackers can manipulate device states and potentially use the compromised platform to launch further attacks against the enterprise network. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the platform's defense-in-depth strategy, as it allows attackers to bypass multiple security layers through a single signature validation bypass. The security note 2134905 specifically identifies this issue and recommends immediate remediation through patching and signature validation improvements, highlighting the urgency of addressing this vulnerability in production environments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the SAP Afaria platform to address the insecure signature implementation. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the Afaria management interfaces and enforce strict access controls through firewalls and access lists. Additional security measures include monitoring for unusual administrative requests and implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative access. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper cryptographic implementation and signature validation as outlined in industry standards such as NIST SP 800-57 for key management and cryptographic standards. Organizations should also consider implementing additional logging and audit capabilities to detect unauthorized administrative activities and establish incident response procedures for handling potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other mobile management platforms and ensure comprehensive security coverage across the enterprise mobile infrastructure.